Rail joint



. SALSICH RAIL Joml APPLICATION FILED IUNE 17 1PM/@mm1 @et 179 1922i.

lima m4 mum@ Patented @et 17, i922.

NLEL E. SALSCH, OF BETHLEHEIM, PENNSYLVANIA. j

' j RAIL Jorim.l

Application filed June l?, 1922. Serial No. 569,178.

To all whom t may concern: y

Be it known that Lllnrn E. SALsIor-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bethlehem, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Joints, of which the following' is a specification.

This invention relates to rail joints and particularly to rail joints in which the abutting rail ends are secured together by vsplice plates welded thereto or secured in position by bolts and by welding.

The heat generated in welding splice plates to rails is intense and frequently is injurious to the rails, when operations are carried out in accordance with the practice now commonly followed. The base flanges of the rail ends are especially susceptible to injury in this manner, the lower welds being made along the lower outer edges of the splice plates which usually lie where the metal of the rail base is thin and easily heated through. As a result of such heating the metal is weakened and the outer margins of the rail bases have frequently broken off under shock and vibration result-V ing from traffic, so that the entire joint greatly weakened.

` llt desirable to have the splice plates of the self centering type, that is, to have them so designed and constructed that theyT arrange themselveswith their webs substan.l

tially parallel to the webs of the rails when the plates are initially drawn into position by the tightening bolts. In order to fulfill this requirement the plates are formed with top and bottom bearing surfaces for abutment against the lower and upper surfaces of the heads and bases of the rails respec tively, these slxrfaces constituting gi'iide surfaces for the purpose mentioned.

ln accordance with the present invention the splice plates are formed with the desired bearing or guide surfaces so that they may be quickly and accurately assembled with the rails and at the same time, are so designed that their outer lower longitudinal edges which are adapted to be wel-ded to the rail bases, are displaced inwardly relatively to the bearing surfaces so as to be as close as possible to the webs of the rails to the end that the lower weld may be formed where the metal of the rail base is comparatively thick and not liable to be inj ured by the heat incident to the welding operation. t will be understood, of course,

that the bases of the rails with which the plates are to be used decrease in thickness in each direction from the webs toward the outer edges.

ln the accompanying drawings one form of splice plate is illustrated which fulfills the requirements above mentioned, and in the following description the construction of the plate will be described in detail. lt will be understood., however, that the exact form of theplate may be changed when the same is intended for different forms of rails and that various minor modifications are contemplated.

I. In the drawings: F ig. 1 is a side elevation of the abutting ends of two girder rails showing the plate in position; and

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 ot' vlllg. l. a portion of one plate being broken away. l

The rails R are of the girder typeeach having the lower surfaces of the head 13 and 14 being downwardly and inwardly inclined and the upper surfaces 15 and 16 of the base l2 being upwardly and inwardly inclined.

a head 10, a web 11 and a base 12,

The splice plates are indicated at S and although of different heights are formed in the same manner. Each splice plate comprises a web 17 having transverse flanges 1S atits ends. The upper and lower edge surfaces of the web converge inwardly to fit closely against the corresponding inwardly converging surfaces of the head and base and the same is true of the end flanges 1S, the upper and lower surfaces of these lianges being so inclined. as to fit closely against the inwardly converging and op4 positely facing surfaces of the rail. head and base.

ln applying-'the plates to the rail ends. bolts B are passed through registering apertures in the plates and webs 11 of the rails and are 'gradually tightened to draw the plates toward the webs of the rails so that their inclined upper 'amd lower surfaces bear tightly against the corresponding surfaces of the heads and bases of the rails. WV hen the plates have been drawn into position in this manner welding material is applied as at 19 along the lower edge of the plates and as at 2O along their upper edges so that the plates are rigidly secured in po-` sition. l

lt will be seen that by the use of the end (hinges 18 the plates are provided with upthat those edges of the fed'ges of the rails. K j y p theoretical requirements "are realized 'and 1t will'be Iseen that' toy Lfabi'icate.

:Letters patent is:

per and lower guide surfaces 'ofsufficient length transversely of the plate to prevent any tendency which the plate may have to tilt as it is drawn y'into position lby lthe bolts, so that their webs 17 do not lie parallel to the webs llk of the rail. Furthermore I plate which are to be welded to the bases'ofthe rails are'disposedvat a considerable distance from the ln this ymanner both the rail'joint formed Awill be of a strong nature aswell' asbeing 'oomparatively inexpensive,A the vplates employed being o f vrelatively light weight' 'and easy Having. thusl 'described the inventin,

what l claim as'new'and 'desire'to'lsecure by l. A splice'plate forja railjointliaving a lower outer edge adapted tofbep'ositioned adj aeent'the base of 'a vrail and to' be'pwelded thereto, and also having a portinextending outwardly beyond` said :lower 'edge which vSpor-tion is provided vwith"upper andlower guide surfaces 'adapted to bear respectively against the heads and Y bases 'of the abutting rail ends, d ,y I M y y l' A Y 2j Asplice'plate for rail jointthe outer lower edge lof which is 'adapted to be posiiuonecraijteenq the lbe welded thereto, 'of 'prtions eit'ei'iding lower edge which? portions 'are l provided with base 0f a rail`an`d `to and ihaying a j plurality entwaiidly beyond said upper andr lower vguide surfaces adapted to bear ie'spveeti'viely against the heads 'and bases l of the abutting "rail ends.

. 'a"l'owei,o'1it,er edge adapted 40T` fthereto, and `also having ai portion at each r end extending,o'utwar'dlyfat an angle to' the 4 j )latel beyond said lowerl l to be positioned the basefof 'arail and to be welded against main'4 portion ofI the:

edge, whichflaiiges are provided with up- 'per and "lower guide surfaces adapted to 'bear 'espec'tively'"against the 'heads and `a lower outer edge adapted lvthereto, and 'also having a ',ange at each end extending" outwardly at an angle to the bases :of the abutting' railA ends.

rail joint" having j j 4 l to be positioned. base of ai rail and tobe welded iL. A splice plate fora aoalnst the 'niain'portion of theplate beyond said lower edge which portion is 'provided with inelined upper and lower guide surfaces adapted to bear respectively against the heads and bases of the abutting rail ends.

A rail point `eonnprising .in combination with the abutting ends of two girder rails, spliced'plates on opposite sides of the rails and overlapping the rail ends, each splice plate having a lower outer edge adjacent the rail base and adapted to be welded vvvtheretojand also having a portion extending "outwardly beyondv said lower `ed/ge `whieh portion is 'provided "with upper 'and-flwer guide surfaces adapted tob'earrespectively against the heads'andbases-of 4the abutting i'i'.ail'ends. v f

with'the abutting ends" Of'twofgirder rails, i

"splice plates on oppositesides'oftherails and overlapping the vrailiends, eachisplice plate ll'i'aying a lower outer edge adjacent fthe lrail, base 'andn'lapted toi be welded "thereto :and'alsoliaifing a flange ate'ach vend extending o'llit'war'dly at an angle to fthe rinai'n portion of the platebeyo'n'd said'lower edge, which-portion is""providedI with iii-- clined upper and lower `guidel surfaces l'aihipted to i bear "respectively against, the heads and basesof'theiabutting rail'n'ds.

T; iisplice plate for a yrail'jloint having a lower outer edge adapted-tobe'positioned 'adjacent the base vof, a rail andto be welded f thereto, a portion 'of the plateextending 'outwardly' beyond said,A lower edge and p'ro- `vided"\w'-ith a guidesurfaceadapted to'befar against the base of a'i'ail,``andthe upper edge surface .of the Vplate 4'c'oinprising a lguide surface adapted to'bear againstfthe -lower surface of 'a rail head.

j 8. "A self centering 'vsplic'efplate for a rail joint having upper anc V lower guide surfaces adapted to beafr against the headsand bases respectively"fof 'abuttingf rail ends, with the .lower outer' edge adjacent the bases' of the 'rails and in' position to' be welded. thereto, Vland portion extending olvitwardly beyond saidflower outer" edge amllesigned toen- "gage a rail base. l

ln testimony whereof l lhereunto affix niv signature. v j

' NEIL E. 'SALSlCl-l. 

